Southern Boating covers marina openings, boat shows, mergers and other events in the marine industry, and more. Southern Boating attends renowned shows and events and shares the experiences with you. Informative articles will keep you updated on everything from yacht auctions to fishing tournaments and industry charity events.
A stroll through activities during Chestertown, Maryland’s annual Tea Party Festival is a fine way to celebrate Memorial Day weekend. Every year the festival seems to grow larger and be more fun with so many people gathering to celebrate the meaning of the holiday.
Now in its 39th consecutive year, the Tea Party Festival offers a look back at our colonial past. There will also be local musical entertainment, children’s activities, crafts, wine and beer tastings, and more. The highlight of the weekend is the reenactment of Colonists and Tories as they march to the Chester River. There, they board Chestertown’s 18th-century tall ship, Sultana, to dispatch its cargo of tea overboard. Plenty of anchoring space is available on the Chester River allowing dinghies and paddlers easy access to Wilmer Park right in the heart of the festival.
Festivities start with a street party on Friday evening in front of the Garfield Center for the Arts that includes barbecue, music and children’s activities. Saturday begins with a colonial parade at 10 AM that includes the U.S. Army Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps, and at 2 PM, the tea reenactment begins. Beer and wine tasting starts at noon on Sunday with the much-anticipated raft race on the Chester at 2:30 PM.
Earth Day is in April, but Clean the Bay Day is in June
As beautiful as the Chesapeake Bay is, there’s no denying that plenty of debris winds up in its shallow waters and shorelines. This not only diminishing aesthetics but also harms the life it sustains. Hence, how Clean the Bay Day came about.
Without government programs to declutter the Bay, each year on the first Saturday of June, thousands of Virginians descend on rivers, streams, and beaches of the Chesapeake watershed to remove litter and debris. Clean the Bay Day has become a Virginian tradition. The event is a yearly opportunity for families, military installations, businesses, clubs, and civic and church groups to give some TLC to local waterways.
This year’s 30th Annual Clean the Bay Day is Saturday, June 2nd. Since the event began in 1989, more than 150,000 volunteers have removed over 6.5 million pounds of debris from some 7,390-plus miles of shoreline. The most common items found are plastic bottles and bags, aluminum cans and cigarette butts.
Other items have included a rusted-out car that volunteers managed to pull out, a dishwasher and stove, a complete bed frame, shopping carts, a mannequin head, an old cash register, a computer, a full gas can, car batteries, a Weed Eater, and much more.
Clean the Bay Day is only possible with participation and partnerships. The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) and dozens of partners, including municipalities, nonprofits, businesses, and corporate sponsors, all chip in. You can find out how to help on the CBF website. The website also includes helpful things you can do every day to make a difference.
Join the Ships of the Sea Museum in Savannah, Georgia, May 22nd as they celebrate National Maritime Day.
“In 1933, Congress declared National Maritime Day to commemorate the American steamship Savannah’s voyage from the United States to England, marking the first successful crossing of the Atlantic Ocean with steam propulsion,” states the Maritime Administration of the U.S. Dept. of Transportation.
Since the original settlers arrived by ships, the United States has been a seafaring nation built upon our ocean-going trade. The museum is open with free admission on Tuesday, May 22nd in honor of Maritime Day and the tradition that recognizes the men and women who dedicate their lives to the sea.
It’s a bittersweet end. The Carolina Boat Shows mark the end of the boat show season.
Enjoy the last in-water boat show in the Southeast as the Carolina boat shows bring the season to a close with two well-established events. The Oriental In-Water Boat Show takes place April 13-15 in Oriental, North Carolina. Oriental is a favorite stop on the ICW and is the Sailing Capital of North Carolina. With exhibitors attending from Virginia to Florida, boaters will have access to a wide variety of boats, accessories, and services. All of the show activities are located in the center of town at the Oriental Village Marina.
The Charleston In-Water Boat Show takes place April 20-22 at Brittlebank Park and Bristol Marina in Charleston, South Carolina. With more than 30 new boat brands plus brokerage
boats, you’ll see the latest fishing and pleasure boats perfectly suited for the Lowcountry waters. Shoreside vendors will also have the most recent fishing and boating accessories.
This annual tradition in Darien, Georgia, is the largest Blessing of the Fleet on the U.S.
East Coast. Join the fun April 14-15 as this community blesses the shrimp boat captains
with a safe and prosperous season. The Blessing becomes a weekend-long festival
with a marine parade, live music, juried art show, 5K run, children’s events, and some
of the best seafood in the Southeast.
With more than 30,000 attendees expected throughout the weekend, the celebration has become one of Georgia’s largest and most anticipated coastal events. For seasonal cruisers heading north in April, Darien is only seven miles off the ICW with free municipal dockage that includes electric.
WPEC CBS12 brings viewers the news as it’s happening on the water from a Jupiter center console, Marine Watch 12.
Florida’s Martin County, which includes shoreline on Lake Okeechobee, is 27.8 percent water, and Palm Beach County is 17.3 percent water. It was only natural for the area’s prime news station, WPEC CBS12, to develop on-the-water coverage.
On display at the 44th annual Stuart Boat Show, presented by Infinity, Marine Watch 12 is the newest member of the WPEC CBS12 fleet. “We thought if we could have the Traffic
Tracker 12; if we could have the SkyTeam 12 drone; if we could have the StormTracker 12 truck; and if we could have a boat, we would have a fleet of vehicles that would give
our news team an awesome advantage in terms of getting to particular stories or even finding new stories,” says General Manager Michael Pumo, who remembers how the idea
started.
“When the algae bloom happened, all the reporters were on shore, and we thought, we should be out on a boat showing how deep the algae is, what it looks like and actually going out to Lake Okeechobee and being able to look at it. Having the boat has enabled us to do that.” And it’s not just the bloom; news of refugees coming to shore, people that go missing, storm erosion, and abandoned boats in the waterways are all shown from the water’s perspective.
At the helm is Capt. Abe Aksal, who was with the Lake Park police department marine division for 8 years and retired after 25 years with the sheriff’s department. With towing,
radar, Ordinary Seaman, and U.S. Navy endorsements, Aksal is certified in rough water ocean rescue and is a licensed dive master. “Finding the right captain was critical because it’s not an easy job,” says Dale Matteson, integrated sales manager of WPEC CBS12. “We needed somebody who was credible, reliable, knew the waters, knew the laws and could manage the boat as well.” When it comes to news, it’s not a nine-to-five gig, so when it happens, Capt. Aksal has to be ready to go.
The 30-foot Jupiter is sponsored by Geico’s West Palm Beach office and Tuppen’s Marine. Aksal says the twin 300-hp, four-stroke Yamaha outboards “sip fuel and are very economical.” He adds, “It has a step-down hull and holds about 300 gallons of fuel with a cruising range of about 500 miles. At about 5,500 rpms, she’ll go about 55 miles per hour.” The center console allows for plenty of room to hold the latest Garmin electronics and incorporates Yamaha’s synchronized management software to synch the throttles and show fuel consumption, rpms, and maintenance schedules in one unit. With a 50-gallon water capacity, plenty of storage and ample seating, Aksal says the best thing is its comfortable ride.
But what gets the news to the studio is the power unit that controls two GoPro cameras tied directly to the TV station? The canopy camera incorporates night vision technology; a portable underwater camera can lower down to 300 feet and is also towable behind the boat with a fin mount. A monitor on the boat allows for the captain to see what’s shown in the studio, and producers can control the cameras from the TV’s control room.
Launched in March 2017, the boat has more than 230 hours of sea time and has been 30 miles offshore to cover a large debris field from Hurricane Irma. Besides community participation in local events, Marine Watch 12 also relies on input from viewers. “We want boaters to let us know stories that we’re not seeing and hearing about, and it gives us
ammunition to go out and make these stories more relevant for the community,” says Pumo. “We’re blessed to live in an area that is surrounded by water, and water for us is recreation, livelihoods, and our environment.”
Droning on and on takes on a different meaning when you’ve got three models, thirteen amazing products, and the bluest waters. Check out our drone footage for a birdseye view of Honeymoon Harbour!
The 33rd Annual Palm Beach International Boat Show: you’ll come for the boats but stay for so much more!
The Palm Beach Boat Show is generally considered the final boat show in the seven-monthlong boat show season. This year marks its 33rd and will once again be held along Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach, FL from March 22nd to March 25th.
The upscale setting with its luxury homes along the ICW and a bevy of dining options for all budgets is fitting to commemorate making it through the busiest time of year, but it’s a special show for many other reasons as well. “The Palm Beach International Boat Show holds a special place on many boating and yachting enthusiasts’ calendars,” says Mary Bender, vice president of marketing for Informa, the show’s producer. “It’s the last major international yacht show of the yearly boat show season and, therefore, is well attended by serious shoppers as well as many key industry executives.”
Yet while the Palm Beach Boat Show attracts many high-level boat buyers and yacht charter clients, all boating enthusiasts, cruisers, and anglers will find something
of interest here. In addition to boats of all sizes at the docks and on land, educational activities include fishing clinics and seminars offered by the non-profit Hook the Future as well as the IGFA School of Sportfishing. Need to brush up on your boating or docking skills? Sit in on classes for long-range cruising or on-the-water boat handling. In between classes and boat shopping, enjoy live music and refreshments at one of the show’s floating cocktail lounges.
If receiving more personal attention is your style, in keeping with the high profile location and venue, a new option for 2018 is the VIP Experience, a private club that provides guests with fine food and refreshments in a climate controlled space with comfy seating. Concierge services for yacht tours, dining reservations, private transportation, and other personal services are arranged by Delmay and Partners, a dedicated concierge service. Parking is plentiful and options are listed on the show’s website pbboatshow.com.
But if you’re local to the area, come by boat and tie up for free at the docks located south of the in-water boat displays at the Palm Beach Boat Show.
Now in its 37th year, the Lions Seafood Festival is one of the most anticipated events of
the year. Held at Francis Field in downtown St. Augustine, March 16-18, the Festival is
not only a feast for the palate (18 individual restaurants and food trucks will be preparing
seafood specialties) but for all the senses, with live music, an artists village, and activities
for the whole family, including a pirate village, magic shows, and belly dancers.
St. Patricks Day comes on Saturday, March 17th, so put on your Irish and go out “on the lash.” Crawl the pubs, gobble corned beef and cabbage, sing along with street musicians, and cheer the bagpipers. Just about every city on the Gulf is raising a toast to its Irish traditions with St. Patricks Day Events.
Corpus Christi’s (TX) Cassidy’s Irish Pub is the center of attention with Irish dancers, Irish bagpipers, Irish food and, gulp, green beer.
New Orleans (LA) has at least three parades and meet-ups. One authentic place to be is the Irish Channel Neighborhood near the Garden District—Parasol’s Bar is the hub—which hosts an all-day street party.
Biloxi (MS) has a Grillin’ on the Green BBQ competition, an arts and crafts show and live music. There are afternoon festivals and parades in Waveland, Long Beach, and Biloxi, and when the sun goes down, the O’Blarney Society rolls out floats and bagpipers for St. Patrick’s Night in Pascagoula.
Mobile’s (AL) Bienville Square downtown is the site for an Irish Stew Cook-off.
Pensacola (FL) has a beer-flavored, crazy-dress-up 5K run then a parade by properly-dressed U.S. Marines.
Fort Myers and Fort Myers Beach (FL) have live music, pub crawls, and parades.
Bradenton and Sarasota (FL) have block parties with Irish-flavored bands and pub crawls—ditto in Cape Coral, Fort Myers, Fort Myers Beach, Naples, and Key West.
Tampa’s (FL) Riverwalk puts an exclamation point on its downtown celebration. If you go, take a good look at the Hillsborough River. Yeah, it’s green.
The 16th annual Savannah Boat Show welcomes all of those boaters to one of the
Southeast’s premier winter boat shows. Located at the Savannah International Trade
and Convention Center on Hutchinson Island, March 2-4, the Show overlooks the
Savannah River and is adjacent to the Westin Harbor Golf Resort Spa and Marina.
With a focus on powerboats, demonstrations, and seminars on fishing, boating electronics and accessories are included as well as local seafood, music and shag dancing competitions.
As one of the largest indoor shows in the Southeast, the weather will not be a factor; rain
or shine, the show will go on. Two-day passes are available at a 50-percent discount off
the one-day rate.
The photoshoot for our 2018 Swimsuit issue was quite the adventure, with just shy of three days to photograph three lovely ladies enjoying 13 different marine-related products provided by a partnership with Nautical Ventures.
Destination? Paradise. At least for Annapolis Bermuda Ocean Race participants.
The Biannual Annapolis Bermuda Ocean Race returns for 2018 on June 8th and registration is open for the 50 slots available to sailors of many racing levels and mindsets. The voyage combines inshore and offshore racing through its route down the Chesapeake Bay, across the Gulf Stream, and on to Bermuda. The destination is tropical paradise—white sandy beaches and island hospitality—and well worth a few bumps along the way.
The Annapolis Bermuda Ocean Race only happens every other year. Don’t miss!
The race covers 753 miles, making it the longest ocean race on the east coast of the U.S. The Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis, Maryland, is the host club for the race. The club and its A2B race committee work hard to help new and prospective racers get ready for the trip, offering educational seminars leading up to the race and pre-race social events. The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club in Bermuda hosts the fleet while in Bermuda.
First held in 1979, theA nnapolis Bermuda Ocean Race can be technically challenging, physically taxing, and conversely rollicking and serene. Signups for sailors looking for a boat or for boats looking for crew are available on the yachtscoring.com website. Categories of experience include novice, beginner, intermediate, advanced, and professional.
Last February I mentioned that the Chesapeake Conservancy has virtual tours of entire
rivers now available to view on their website. You can see what a Chesapeake Bay tributary looks like before you actually take a boat there.
Since then, the nonprofit conservancy has added many more tours including the Elk, Northeast, Potomac, Sassafras, and York rivers, and the Werowocomoco archaeological site along the York. Terrain360 creates the tours, which are recorded from a boat equipped with six cameras mounted 10 feet above the water’s surface to capture 360-degree images every 50 feet. The images are then stitched together to create a digital image map of an entire river. chesapeakeconservancy.org
New to boating or want to hone your skills? There will be on-water boat handling classes during the Miami International Boat Show.
Fear of handling a boat in close quarters is a common feeling expressed by many boaters. The organizers of this year’s Miami Boat Show would like to help people get past that fear. Offered every day of the show from February 15-19, on-water boat handling classes at MIBS. These training programs will run in one- or three-hour sessions.
The one-hour sessions will cover close-quarters, open-water and anchoring skills in single engine outboards. Skills addressed include steering and maintaining maximum boat control at slow speeds; managing momentum; how to slow and stop quickly, and
turning the boat around in tight spaces.
The three-hour sessions will cover basic, advanced and precision control in twin outboard and sterndrive configurations.
Professionally licensed captains will be teaching effective use of the three most important close quarters handling skills: steering, shifting and throttle control. Participants will also learn techniques for docking the boat confidently in windy conditions and station keeping in the wind as a proactive safety tool. miamiboatshow.com/on-water
The Southeast Wildlife Exposition (SEWE) brings water, wildlife, and outdoor enthusiasts together.
Water, wildlife, and outdoor enthusiasts gather in Charleston, South Carolina, over Presidents’ Day weekend February 16-18 for the biggest outdoor sporting event of its kind in the U.S. The Southeast Wildlife Exposition (SEWE), now in its 36th year, promotes the preservation of wildlife and nature conservation. From a modest beginning of 100 exhibitors and 5,000 attendees, the event has grown to over 300 exhibitors and 40,000 attendees. SEWE holds over 70 events across 5 venues, including dock dogs sporting water trials, thrilling birds of prey flight demonstrations, retriever events, and waterfowl decoy auctions. Artists and vendors attend from every state in the U.S. and internationally from seven nations.
SEWE’s Sporting Village hosts exhibitors showing the latest from outdoor outfitters, boats, and equipment. Fishing, hunting, and outdoor guides will have retriever demonstrations,
fly fishing, fly-tying, and cast net tossing instruction by local experts. Attending SEWE also supports their mission to provide educational opportunities and in-school programs that connect children to the power of the outdoors.
Through art, nature, and science outreach programs, SEWE helps children learn about the exciting outdoor world and the importance of protecting and preserving it forever. If all of this isn’t enough reason to attend, attendees have a chance to win a 2018 Scout 195 Sportfish boat donated by Scout Boats and Ducks Unlimited. Raffle tickets for a chance to win the boat are $100, and only 600 tickets will be sold.
